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2008

Sunday 22 June 2008 OTTAWA: CANADA MARKS NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY
Celebrations were held across the country on Saturday to mark National Aboriginal Day, a day to honour the contributions of First Nation, Inuit and Metis people. June 21 is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. Aboriginal Day was first proclaimed 12 years ago by the former Liberal Party government. Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion said on Saturday that the day pays tribute to the immense contribution of aboriginal people to the social, economic and cultural fabric of Canadian society. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized on behalf of the government for residential schools, where many young aboriginal people suffered abuse and neglect over the course of a century.

Sunday 15 June 2008 Canada apologizes on Diana's site

Sunday 15 June 2008 TORONTO: TALKS TO END TWO-YEAR NATIVE OCCUPATION SUSPENDED
Land claims talks aimed at resolving the occupation by Six Nation activists of a former development site near Caledonia in southwestern Ontario have broken off. The talks involve both the Ontario and federal governments. A spokesman for Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant says no date has been set for the negotiations to resume but the parties could return to the bargaining table in August. The spokesman says the natives want more time to consider the federal government's offer of $26 million to settle a claim involving the Welland Canal. The occupation has led to occasional violence between the natives and Caledonia residents.

Friday 13 June 2008 OTTAWA: NATIVES GET NATIONAL APOLOGY
Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered Canadian natives an apology on behalf of the nation for the abuse suffered by young natives in residential schools for most of the 20th century. The prime minister said in the House of Commons that the forcible removal of young natives from their families and tribes to be educated in church-run schools was a profound injustice for which..."We are sorry." The prime minister recognized that the two objectives of the residential school system were to isolate the children from the influence of their homes and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. The prime minister's apologies were echoed by Stéphane Dion, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe, the leaders of the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Québécois parties respectively. About 150,000 attended the residential schools, of whom about 80,000 are still living. In 2006, class-action lawsuits brought by former students were settled for was is expected to amount to $4 billion.

Wednesday 11 June 2008 OTTAWA: OFFICIAL APOLOGY FOR NATIVE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS WELCOMED
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established to examine the history of boarding schools for native children says that the official apology for them to be presented by Prime Minister Stephen Harper is an essential step towards reconciliation. Mr. Harper is to offer the apology in the House of Commons on Wednesday to the thousands of surviving native students who were sent to the schools forcibly and some of whom were the victims of abuses. The schools were administered by religious denominations. About 90,000 of the students are still alive. Thousands of these launched lawsuits against the federal government and the churches involved. A $5-billion settlement was reached in 2006, the biggest class-action settlement in Canadian history.

Friday 30 May 2008 UNDATED: NATIVES DEMONSTRATE
Thursday was a "day of action" by thousands of aboriginal Canadians who demonstrated and marched to protest the conditions in which many of them live. Phil Fontaine, the head of the Assembly of First Nations representing natives living on reserves, said it was a "day of reaching out to Canadians to educate and inform Canadians of the situation that our people find themselves in." Many protesters again called on the federal government to provide better funding for communities and schools and to move faster to solve some 1,100 unresolved land claims. On June 11, the government will offer a formal apology for the segregated boarding schools which thousands of native children were forced to attend, where many were abused. The schools were run by various Christian denominations.

Thursday 29 May 2008 OTTAWA: RIGHTS BILL AFFECTING NATIVES PASSES COMMONS The House of Commons has approved a contentious bill that will allow First Nations members to sue their tribal leaders or the federal government. Such suits have been largely forbidden since the Canadian Human Rights Act was passed in 1977. The Act contained an exemption for native reserves that was supposed at the time to be temporary. The Senate will now consider the legislation.

Friday 16 May 2008 TORONTO: PM TO APOLOGIZE FOR NATIVE SCHOOLS
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl says the Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make a formal apology in the House of Commons on June 11 for abuses at native residential schools. The minister says this will be the "meaningful and respectful" apology that natives have sought for many years. Many of the 90,000 surviving former students have stressed the importance of a public apology by the prime minister. The federal government acknowledged 10 years ago that abuses were perpetrated at the schools, which were operated by religious denominations. A "truth" commission created to investigate abuses at the schools will begin its labours on June 1.

Friday 02 May 2008 UNITED NATIONS: CANADA CRITICIZED OVER NATIVE RIGHTS
Canada came under criticism on Thursday at the UN for its opposition to a declaration approved by the General Assembly last September regarding aboriginal rights. The non-binding declaration was opposed by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. on the grounds that it provided excessive property and legal powers to natives. Canada also said the declaration is incompatible with the country's constitution. The chairwoman of the Assembly's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issue, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, accuses Canada of trying to block the use of the declaration as a basis of negotiation for an accord at the Organization of American States. She says that while Canada had enjoyed a good reputation for native rights, this changed after the present Conservative Party government was elected. The government sent its minister of Indian affairs, Chuck Strahl, to rebut those arguments. He told a news conference that Canada had opposed the declaration because native rights are already enshrined in the constitution.

Friday Apr 11, 2008 Paul Martin still wrong about aboriginal issues Paul Martin showed a serious lack of judgment this week when, on a rare visit to Parliament Hill, he stopped barely short of encouraging rowdy native protests across the country.

Wednesday 09 April 2008 HALIFAX: INUIT IMPOSE MORATORIUM ON URANIUM MINING
The Inuit government in the eastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador's territory of Labrador has imposed a moratorium on the mining and milling of uranium until the Nunsiavut government develops its own environmental laws by 2011. William Barbour, its minister of lands and resources, says the decision was taken to ensure that the Inuit have a say in the long-term protection of their lands, adding that many residents entertain fears about the negative environmental and health effects of uranium mining. The decision drove down the stock shares of Aurora Energy Resources and several other mining firms active in the territory, Aurora's losing one-third of its value to close at $1.77 for an erasure of almost $130 million in market value.

Wednesday 02 April 2008 OTTAWA: GOVT. DISAPPROVES OF RETURN TO FAVOUR OF NATIVE CHIEF
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl has decried the decision by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations to reinstate to its senate a native personality whose reputation has been besmirched by racist remarks. Mr. Strahl says the decision to reintegrate David Ahenakew is "disturbing" and has told his department to avoid dealings with the Federation if he is involved. The aboriginal group expelled Mr. Ahenakew from its senate in 2002 after he was charged with promoting hatred against Jews. He was subsequently acquitted but could face another trial later this year.

Wednesday 19 March 2008 TORONTO: PROVINCE WANTS MORE FEDERAL HELP TO PAY FOR NATIVE OCCUPATION
Premier Dalton McGuinty says his government wants the federal government to contribute more to pay the costs of the two-year-old occupation of land near the southwestern town of Caledonia by native protesters. The premier says that as there is no end in sight to the ongoing occupation of a former housing development site, it's time for Ottawa again to ante up. Mr. McGuinty didn't say how much he looking for but that his government expects the occupation to continue. The government reported on Monday having spent $50 million for costs caused by the two-year-old occupation of a housing development near Caledonia by Six Nation natives. The government has spent $35 million to pay for 24-hour policing, while $3.5 million has been disbursed to help business and residents of Haldimand County affected by the standoff. The government reimbursed the former owner of the land $6.9 million after expropriating it. Three-point-five million has gone to defray the costs of Six Nations negotiators and almost as much for its own. The negotiations have been fruitless. The opposition Conservative said on Tuesday that the government should change its approach to the conflict before asking Ottawa for more money by ceasing to negotiate with the natives until the occupation at Caledonia ends.

Saturday 09 February 2008 TORONTO:
NATIVES, PROVINCE IN GAMBLING ACCORD
Ontario natives will receive more than $3 billion over 25 years to finance projects involving community health, education and infrastructure within the framework of a revenue-sharing agreement involving revenue generated by lotteries and casinos. Native leaders announced the ratification of the accord on Thursday, which will provide 134 communities with an immediate payment of $201 million plus 1.7 per cent of the money which the provincial government derives from gambling by 2011. In exchange, the aboriginals have agreed to drop a lawsuit filed in reference to taxes levied on Casino Rama, near Orillia and in 2011 will abandon the revenues which it generates. The accord, the first of its kind in Canada, took three years to negotiate.

Monday 28 January 2008 OTTAWA: INDIAN GROUP SEEKS REVIEW OF CENSUS RESULTS
Calling the latest national census flawed, the Assembly of First Nations is asking for an independent review of its conclusions. The census was undertaken in 2006. It concluded that 55 per cent of Indians are living off reserves. But a special adviser to the Assembly of First Nations, Dan Wilson, says that the figure was changed just as the census was made public earlier this month. The original figure for off-reserve Indians was 60 per cent. Mr. Wilson says that both figures are wrong, partly because of the way that Statistics Canada conducted its survey. He also notes that residents of 22 of Canada's reserves declined to participate in the census. On those reserves that did participate, he says that one in four residents were not counted. Mr. Wilson estimates that if only registered Indians are counted, then the figures would show that 53 per cent of Canadian Indians live on reserves. The percentage is important in determining the amount of government funding that goes to First Nations

Wednesday Jan 16, 2008 A portrait of aboriginals
More than half of Canada's aboriginal population now has a postal code that falls in an urban centre...
Home sweet home in the city about 1 in 2 live in urban areas Winnipeg ranks No. 1 at 68,380

Wednesday Jan 16, 2008 And boy, are they young - half haven't hit their 30s More than 50 per cent of all aboriginal people in Canada haven't hit their 30s yet, according to census...

2007

Thursday 20 December 2007 CANADIAN NATIVES BETTER OFF, COMPARATIVELY
A comparative study of aboriginals in four nations including Canada shows that Canadians are relatively better off. The three other countries studied were New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. Martin Cooke of the University of Waterloo used the UN Development Index to conduct his research. The index compares life expectancy, literacy, education and standard of living. The research found that Canadian natives scored the highest and were tied with New Zealand for catching up with the mainstream. The U.S. ranked second on overall development but third after New Zealand when it comes to closing the gap with the mainstream. Canada had the highest life expectancy at 72.9 years in 2001. Australia fared worst in most categories.

Thursday 13 December 2007 TORONTO: OTTAWA MOVES TO RESOLVE BITTER NATIVE DISPUTE
The federal government has offered the Six Nations $26 million in compensation to settle a 178-year-old land claim near the southwestern Ontario town of Caledonia. Natives have occupied a disputed plot of land for almost two years, to the anger and embittermen of many residents. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant says the cash offer shows the government's resolve to end the conflict over land which the natives lost that was flooded to build the Welland Canal. The government offered the Six Nations $125 million in May, which the natives rejected as "a token."

Thursday 06 December 2007 QUEBEC CITY: INUIT CLOSER TO AUTONOMY
The Inuit of northern Quebec took another step toward political autonomy Wednesday with the signing of a agreement in principle between the federal and provincial governments and the Makivik Corp. to form the regional government of Nunavik. The accord was signed in the Red Room of the Quebec national assembly. The purpose of the exercise is to join in a single administration the main institutions already providing services to residents of the 14 Inuit villages, these being the Kativik regional administration, the Kativik school board and the Nunavik regional health board. The accord also provides for an administration the members of which will be elected. Nunivik occupies one-third of the territory of the province.

MONTREAL: ABORIGINAL PAINTER DIES
Native Canadian painter Norval Morrisseau has died of Parkinson's disease at the age of 75. The eminent painter was born in the Ojibway community of Sand Point, ON. His work featured depictions of aboriginal mythology. He was a recipient of the Order of Canada, the country's most prestigious honour. The Canadian government has issued a statement saying that Mr. Morrisseau succeeded in conquering cultural and racial barriers to make his work known not only in Canada but in the world.

Sunday 02 December 2007 ST. JOHN'S: NEWFOUNDLAND NATIVES ACHIEVE LONG-SOUGHT STATUS
About 7,800 aboriginals who live outside native reserves in the province of Newfoundland have received status as aboriginals for the first time in almost 60 years. Prime Minister Stephen Harper took part in a ceremony this week that gave the aboriginals status under the federal Indian Act. Off-reserve aboriginals had been without status since Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.

Wednesday 28 November 2007 HARPER GOES NATIVE
The National goes inside with a new bill from the Conservative government meant to help settle Canada’s more than eight hundred outstanding native land claim disputes. The bill proposes the establishment of an independent tribunal of Superior Court judges, which would be charged with the settlement of land claims that have died or have been stalled for at least three years. Under the current, phlegmatic system, in which the federal government is the sole deciding body in land-claims disputes, it takes an average of thirteen years to achieve a settlement. If the bill becomes law, the government will also commit $250 million per year for ten years to work through the hundreds of unresolved claims, only a tiny percentage of which are, as of now, being actively negotiated. Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, co-authored the bill and is quoted on The National as saying: “I’m confident this will work because it’s our process as well.” However, not all native groups are as confident. An article from yesterday’s issue of the Globe details the concerns outlined in a letter from Grand Chief Ken Malloway, chairman of the British Columbia Specific Claims Committee, who argues that the bill was drafted with insufficient consultation and does not offer enough money to deal with the claims in a timely fashion.

Wednesday 28 November 2007 1:07 OTTAWA: LAND CLAIMS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
The Canadian government has introduced legislation aimed at settling at least 800 of the enormous number of native land claims. The legislation would create an independent panel of six Superior Court judges who would have the power to impose binding settlements between the federal government and native bands. The existing panel of arbitrators lacks any power except that of recommendation. The average time needed to settle a claim is 13 years. The legislation would commit the federal government to spend $250 million over 10 years for the settlement process. The bill would apply to more than 800 claims. However, the legislation would apply only to specific claims and not those by which aboriginal groups have laid claims to huge areas of British Columbia and Ontario.

Wednesday 24 October 2007 OTTAWA: BROADER POLITICAL APPROACH TO ARCTIC SOVEREIGNTY CALLED FOR
The leader of the biggest lobby representing the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic has congratulated the Canadian government for its plan to reaffirm Canada's sovereignty in the North by improving ports and building new military bases. But Mary Simon, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, says the federal government needs to undertake far more. Mrs. Simon says a "substantial investment of time, talent and money in both infrastructure and the social fabric" are needed. She noted in a speech in the capital that residents of the North have a suicide rate 11 times the national average, a tuberculosis rate 15 times higher and a 13-year difference in life expectancy. Mrs. Simon says the vast resources of the region must be developed with attention both to the environment and the long-term welfare of its residents. And she called for the establishment of a panel of experts to recommend a national strategy for climate change. Mrs. Simon has begun a speaking tour which will take her to all 10 provinces and three northern territories. see w-n Arctic

TORONTO: PRISON CONDITIONS FOR NATIVES REMAIN POOR
A federal watchdog for prisons reports that the finding of a report one year ago that conditions for imprisoned aboriginals were discriminatory remains true. That's the assessment of Ed McIsaac, the executive director of the Office of the Correction Investigator, an ombudsman that investigates inmate complaints. Mr. McIsaac says there has been no improvement since last year's ombudsman report, which said they are routinely victims of discrimination. Natives, Métis and Inuit are only three per cent of the population yet are 20 per cent of federal inmates, up from 18.5 per cent last year. Last year's report recommended that Corrections Canada hire more natives to work in the prison service and appoint a deputy commissioner responsible for aboriginals but Mr. McIsaac says the recommendations have been ignored. The ombudsman says aboriginals are still over-represented at maximum security prisons, under-represented at minimus security facilities and are less likely to be released

Tuesday 23 October 2007 OTTAWA: UN EXCORIATES CANADA'S REFUSAL TO SIGN ON TO DECLARATION ON NATIVES
The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner says she is profoundly disappointed at Canada's decision to vote against a UN declaration last month on the rights of indigenous peoples. Louise Arbour told a human rights conference in Canada's capital that it's a surprising stand for a country that sees itself as a model of tolerance and respect. Afterwards, Miss Arbour told reporters that she fears Canada is flagging on its historic commitment to multilateralism on the world stage. Miss Arbour is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Conservative government defended the decision last month by arguing that the broad wording of the declaration conflicted with the Canadian Constitution on some points.

MONTREAL: JEWISH COMMUNITY HONOURS MOHAWK HERO
Montreal's Jewish community gathered Sunday to pay tribute to an aboriginal war hero. They joined Mohawk elders on Montreal's south shore to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Delisle Sr., who was among the first to enter the Dachau Concentration Camp after its liberation. Delisle, who served with the US forces during the Second World War, was posthumously awarded France's Legion of Honour last May. But despite his wartime exploits, Delisle received little recognition in Canada for his bravery. Holocaust survivors in Montreal say when they heard of Delisle recently, they immediately wanted to show their appreciation to his family and other aboriginal veterans. The Canadian government estimates approximately 12,000 natives served in the two world wars and the Korean War.

Thursday 18 October 2007 YELLOWKNIFE: TERRITORY HAS NEW LEADER
A veteran politician has been elected premier of the Northwestern Territories. Floyd Roland, the member representing Inuvik, was elected by his fellow members of the legislature under its consensus rules. He has been elected to the legislature four times and has served as health and finance minister. Mr. Roland says his priority will be to seek maximum control over the territory's resource development.

Friday 14 September 2007 CANADA VOTES AGAINST UN ABORIGINAL TREATY
Canada has voted against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was adopted by the General Assembly. The non-binding declaration protects the human, land and resources rights of the world's 370 million indigenous people. The Canadian government says it cannot accept the declaration in its current form because it compromises Canada's Constitution. Also, Canadian officials say the document does not recognize Canada's need to balance indigenous rights with those of others and that more negotiations are needed. Other countries who voted against the declaration today were Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

UNDATED: UN VOTE ON NATIVES GETS UNFAVOURABLE REVIEWS AT HOME
There was criticism of the UN vote from various quarters. The leader of the opposition Liberal Party, Stéphane Dion, says it gives the signal to native Canadians that their rights aren't worth defending. The native affairs critic of the opposition New Democratic Party, Jean Crowder, says the UN document is "aspirational" and doesn't violate any Canadian laws. Mrs. Crowder calls the vote "cowardly" and "un-Canadian." The leader of the biggest native lobby, Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations, calls the vote "a stain on the country's international reputation," adding that he's disappointed that the government refused to recognize the basic rights of Canadian natives. There was further disapproval from John Paul, the executive director of the Atlantic Policy Congress, which represents 35 aboriginal communities in eastern Canada. Mr. Paul compares the document to the U.S. Declaration of Independence because it refers to "inalienable rights."

Tuesday 14 August 2007 UNDATED: NEW TERRITORIAL GOVT. BORN
A territorial government will come into being in the Nunavik region in the north of Quebec province. An agreement in principle to create it was reached on Monday between the federal and provincial governments and the Makivik society, which manages Inuit institutions. The new government of Nunavik will have 21 Cree, Inuit and white elected representatives and will be born next week. The government will have the power to collect taxes power and pass laws within a few years and occupy a 500,000-square-kilometre territory bordered on the west by Hudson's Bay, in the north by Hudson's Straits and on the east by Ungava Bay and Labrador. It has 11,000 residents, most of them Inuit, living mostly in 14 villages along its coasts. The northernmost village, Ivujivik, is located more than 1,900 kilometres north of Montreal and only 500 kilometres from the Arctic Circle.

TORONTO: PHYSICIANS WORRIED ABOUT YOUNG NATIVES' HEALTH
The Canadian Medical Association Journal has lent its support to those are demanding that federal, provincial and territorial governments stop squabbling about who should pay when young aboriginals fall ill. The Journal says it supports the principle that governments should pay first when First Nations children need complex and costly medical care and then negotiate afterwards who gets the bills. The medical journal also suggests that aboriginals sue governments which delay the delivery of health care because of jurisdictional or financial infighting.

Tuesday 31 July 2007 OTTAWA: NATIVE COMMUNITY TO BE REBUILT
The Canadian government will spend $200 million to rebuild a remote aboriginal town near the shore of James Bay in Northern Ontario. The decision was announced by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice. Kashechewan, a settlement of 1,700 residents, had to be evacuated three times in 2005 and 2006 because of flooding and tainted water supplies. Last November an independent investigation recommended moving the entire town some 400 kilometers to the south to give its inhabitants a better life. But the band council chief, Jonathon Solomon, says it was decided that it was better off improving existing conditions.

Tuesday 17 July 2007 MONTREAL:MAMMOTH NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN CREE, OTTAWA BEAR FRUIT
After decades of negotiation between the federal government and the Cree of Quebec, a $1.4-billion accord has been reached to implement a treaty drafted in 1975. The accord will implement an interim agreement negotiated in 2002 by which the Cree will receive $70 million a year in return for the ending of land claims. The money will enable the natives in the north of the province to improve local infrastructure and fund development projects as well as to pay for police. The Cree will also start negotiations with the federal and Quebec government for a new form of regional government.

Wednesday 04 July 2007 DESERONTO: MOHAWK PROTESTER TO SURRENDER
The Mohawk protester who led a blockade of Highway 401, Canada's busiest, and the Canadian National Railway Co. line in Ontario on the occasion of last week's native Day of Action says he'll turn himself in to police on Thursday. Shawn Brant says he'll attend a bail hearing on the same day but doesn't expect to get bail because he was already out on bail from a previous blockade when he led last week's protest. The event inconvenienced tens of thousands of motorists for 11 hours.

Saturday Jun 30, 2007 Aboriginal day of action unfolds peacefully
While blockades and the threat of blockades snarled railway traffic and prompted the temporary closure of Canada's busiest highway, the countrywide aboriginal day of action on Friday unfolded with mostly peaceful rallies.

rci DESERONTO: NATIVE PROTEST INCONVENIENCES TENS OF THOUSANDS
An extremist Mohawk activist and his followers blocked Highway 401 overnight Friday and also shut down Canadian National Railway Co.'s line linking Toronto and Montreal, a protest that inconvenienced tens of thousands of travellers. Shawn Brant and the followers lit bonfires on the highway and warned they were armed and prepared to resist police. The blockade lasted 11 hours and Mr. Brant ended it by explaining he wished to make a goodwill gesture after nightlong negotiations with the Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino, who says an arrest warrant is out for Mr. Brant. The chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, asked Canadians to look beyond the action of one man and focus on the purpose of the country-wide Day of Action aimed at bringing attention to natives' many grievances, mentioning poverty, suicide on reserves and unsettled land claims. Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice called Mr. Brant's protest illegal and pointed out that the federal government has taken steps to resolve land claims. Across the country mostly small groups of natives said public prayers, marched through the streets, handed out leaflets and spoke with people about the land claims situation.

NATIVE LEADERS DIVIDED ON USE OF BLOCKADES
Aboriginal leaders were divided Friday on whether blockading roads and rail lines is the best way to draw attention to issues faced by First Nations people.

Friday June 29, 2007, was the Aboriginal Day of Action to draw attention to issues facing Canada's aboriginal communities, including poverty, soaring high school dropout rates, high suicide rates and unresolved land claims. photos

Saturday Jun 23, 2007 Summer of action simmering
In 2002, after 14 years of legal wrangling, the federal government finally agreed to settle a land claim filed by the Douglas Reserve of the Sto:lo First Nation in Chilliwack, B.C.

Staked: From Oka to Mirabelbr> They made headlines in 1990 during the Oka crisis that started when the town wanted to expand a golf course into their territory.

Wednesday 20 June 2007 rci VANCOUVER: OTTAWA APPEAL ON NATIVE COURT CASE LIKELY
The Canadian government will likely appeal a major court ruling that would expand the number of aboriginals qualifying for social services by hundreds of thousands. A court in the west coast province of British Columbia struck down part of a 1985 change to the Indian Act on the grounds that it discriminates against aboriginals. For the most part, the government has limited its legal obligation to what it calls status Indians, a term it created that currently applies to about 700,000 people. The interpretation doesn't apply to hundreds of thousands of Canadians with aboriginal heritage.

Sunday 17 June 2007 OTTAWA: PM HAS PLAN TO SPEED UP NATIVE LAND CLAIMS
The Canadian Press reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will on Tuesday announce a plan to accelerate the settlement of native land claims. Mr. Harper is also expected to announce legislation to give more power to the Indian Claims Commission, which investigates claims but isn't empowered to make binding rulings. Unsettled land claims are a major irritant to native Canadians. Claims take on average 13 years to settle. The federal government says there are more than 800 unsettled claims, and negotiation has begun for only 120 of them. The legislation wouldn't be introduced in the House of Commons, where its fate would be uncertain given that the Conservative Party government is in a minority. Natives are preparing a day of action to draw attention to the land claims and other grievances on June 29.

Friday 01 June 2007 Ottawa offers $125 million to settle Caledonia land dispute
The Six Nations' hereditary chiefs have not dismissed a $125 million proposal from Ottawa to end the 15-month standoff in Caledonia, Ont.

Monday 14 May 2007 Bulk of B.C. opposes aboriginal commercial fishing rights
Roughly three out of four British Columbians told a federal government-commissioned pollster they oppose special commercial fishing rights for aboriginal Canadians, according to internal documents obtained this week.

Monday 23 April 2007 Mohawks lift Ontario barricade
Tyendinaga Mohawks near Napanee, Ont., peacefully removed their railway blockade ahead of schedule Saturday morning, ending a standoff with police and freeing up passenger and freight trains to return running across Eastern Ontario.

Saturday 21 April 2007 Mohawk blockade brings rail traffic to halt
A simmering dispute over Mohawk ancestral lands in Deseronto, Ont., erupted Friday into a blockade of the country's busiest railway line by native protesters - raising the spectre of another tense summer of standoffs over unresolved land claims.

Sunday 04 March 2007 Charest calls on Harper to honour Kelowna accord
Quebec Premier Jean Charest called Saturday on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour the Kelowna accord, saying the money the federal government had pledged would make a big difference in the lives of Quebec's First Nations.

Tuesday 06 February 2007 AFN threatens human rights complaint over child care
As the Assembly of First Nations threatened a major human rights complaint against the government, the group's grand chief clashed with Canada's Indian affairs minister over the number of aboriginal children that have been removed from their families due to neglect.

Monday 22 January 2007 Kanesatake Mohawk Nation fights for Mirabel land
Mohawks contest legitimacy of federal deal allowing farmers to buy back land expropriated for airport in 1969
Although the federal government plans to sell land outside Montreal back to the farmers booted from their properties in the sixties, the Kanesatake Mohawk Nation is asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to recognize its rights to the same land.

Saturday 13 January 2007 MONTREAL: CLIMATE CONCERNS
Aboriginal people living in northern regions of Canada are increasingly concerned about the unusually warm winter. Aboriginals in Canada's remote northeastern regions are concerned about the environmental impact of higher temperatures on their traditional lands and way of life. The aboriginals mention the vast body of water known as Hudson Bay as an example of where warmer weather is having an impact. Typically, Hudson Bay's shallow waters are ice-covered by now, but so far this year there is no ice. Aboriginal elders say this has never happened as far back as they can remember.

Friday 12 January 2007 KINGSTON: ABORIGINAL RECRUITMENT
The Canadian military is launching a campaign to recruit more aboriginals and place them in leadership positions. Plans are being discussed to give aboriginal youth the chance to spend one year at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, where Canadian officers are trained. Figures indicate that aboriginals accounted for 4.4 per cent of the Canadian population in 2001, but they make up only 1.5 per cent of the military's regular and reserve forces.

Friday 05 January 2007 NUNAVUT: TERRITORY FIGHTS BACK
The northern Canadian territory of Nunavut will soon launch a public relations campaign in a bid to preserve the lucrative polar bear hunt. The government does not accept claims that the bear population is under threat from climate change. Patterk Netser, Nunavut's environment minister, says while bears along the western coast of Hudson Bay appear to be declining, there's little evidence that overall numbers are actually down. In fact, Nunavut government biologists estimate that bear numbers in the territory have increased over the last decade from 12,000 to 15,000. But recently published international studies predict steady declines in those populations as the bears' habitat is adversely affected by warming. And that has prompted the Bush administration to consider listing polar bears as "threatened" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Such measures could severely harm the economy of Nunavut where Americans travel to hunt polar bears, and pay large sums of money for the experience.

2006

Sunday 17 December 2006 TORONTO: NATIVES WIN LANDMARK CASE<=br> A settlement between the Canadian government and natives who were forced into "residential" schools where many were abused is virtually complete. Courts in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Quebec and Ontario have given their approval, with Nunavut and the Northwest Territories being the only jurisdictions not to have approved. Tens of thousands of native children were removed from their families and sent to the schools, where many were beaten or sexually abused. About 80,000 natives are eligible for compensation. Any person who intended the schools will be entitled to a payment of $24,000. Those who suffered physical or sexual abuse will be entitled to additional payments ranging between $5,000 and $275,000. Descendants of former students who died after May 31, 2005 may also be compensated. One-hundred-million-dollars has been set aside for legal fees. The settlement will cost the federal government $5 billion. The settlement has taken a decade to be concluded.

Monday 11 December 2006 B.C. signs second straight treaty deal
A united group of Vancouver Island First Nations Saturday signed a $320-million treaty that had some hailing the British Columbia treaty process because it's the second signing ceremony in two days.

Friday 10 November 2006 OTTAWA: REPORTS SUGGESTS MOVE FOR NATIVE COMMUNITY
An adviser to the Canadian government has suggested that a remote native community in northern Ontario be relocated hundreds of kilometres to the south. The adviser's report recommends moving the Kashechewan reserve from its present location on the shore of James Bay 450 kilometres southward to a spot within the limits of the municipality of Timmins. The document says the 1,100 Kashechewan residents would gain access to regional health facilities, community health programs, police and fire fighting services and the removal of the constant threat of floods. In October 2005, the entire reserve was relocated after E. coli bacteria entered its water supply. Kashechewan also has been flooded several times in recent years.

Sat 04/11/2006 VICTORIA: FUNDING SET FOR INDIGENOUS GAMES
The federal government has formalized its support for the 2008 North American Indigenous Games, pledging $3.5 million to the event. The federal minister responsible for sport, Michael Chong, made the announcement during a sport leadership conference in Vancouver and again during an evening celebration in Duncan on Vancouver Island, where the Games Council is holding its annual meeting. The island's Cowichan Valley will play host to the event, August 2 to 10, 2008. About 5,000 athletes from across North America, aged 13 to 19, are expected to participate in 16 sports. Mr. Chong said the federal money represents the federal contribution to the Games' $10-to-$12 million budget. The British Columbia provincial government has already pledged a matching $3.5 million. The rest of the budget will come from registration fees, corporate sponsorship and the host Cowichan Tribes.

WINNIPEG: GOVERNMENTS AT ODDS OVER CASINO SMOKING
The federal and Manitoba governments are at odds over who can control smoking at native casinos. Federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice says anti-smoking laws adopted by Manitoba, Saskatchewan and other provinces can be applied to reserves. Mr. Prentice points to a recent ruling by a Manitoba court, which said the smoking law must be applied equally to natives and non-natives. Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has tried to keep the ball in Mr. Prentice's court, saying the federal government can quash smoking bylaws passed by aboriginal band councils. Four councils in Saskatchewan have passed such bylaws to get around a provincial smoking law. Some Manitoba bands now plan to do the same. Non-native bar owners say they are losing customers to smoker-friendly gambling houses on reserves. The issue is headed back to court this month.

Sun 29/10/2006 VICTORIA: NATIVE BAND AND PROVINCE MEET TO SIGN MAJOR LAND TREATY
British Columbia on Sunday moved closer to approving its first major land treaty with local native people in eight years. Representatives of all three levels of government met in Prince George with members of the Lheidli T'enneh Band to sign the treaty agreement. The treaty must now be approved by the Band and by the federal and provincial governments. The treaty covers salmon fishing quotas, native rights to 43 square kilometres of land near Prince George, and more than CDN$13 million in cash. The Lheidli T'enneh Band, which has about 315 members, initially claimed about forty-five thousand square kilometres of land, but most of it was already part of Prince George. The band is one of about 200 native nations in the province. Fewer than 20 native nations have separate treaties, most of which date to the nineteenth century, when British Columbia was not yet a Canadian province. In 1998, the historic Nisga'a treaty was finally signed after a century of strenuous negotiations. Canada's federal government is calling the Prince George treaty a large step on the road to creating strong relations with native people.

Wednesday 01 November 2006 TORONTO: ONTARIO URGES OTTAWA TO MOVE ON NATIVE OCCUPATION
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has again urged the federal government to make a greater effort to resolve the occupation by native protesters of a plot of land near the town of Caledonia in the southwest of the province. Six Nations protesters have occupied the land since February on the grounds that it's theirs. The occupation has led to violence between the natives, non-natives and provincial police. Talks to resolve the situation between the natives and the two levels of government have been fruitless. Mr. McGuinty says that under the Constitution the federal government has sole responsibility for native land claims and should exercise that responsibility to end the standoff. The premier says the province has spent more than $25 million to buy the disputed plot and to compensate local business for loss of revenue from the occupation, plus an unknown amount of overtime pay for provincial police officers to keep the peace, expenses which he says Ottawa should reimburse.

Ont. hands Ottawa $39.3 million tab for Caledonia costs
Ontario's aboriginal affairs minister delivered a $39.3-million bill Tuesday night to the federal government for ongoing costs arising from the aboriginal land-claims dispute in the southern Ontario community of Caledonia.

Monday 30 October 2006 NANAIMO: FIRST NATIONS WANT END TO TREATY IMPASSE
More than 40 First Nations peoples demanded on Saturday that the federal and provincial governments finish native land-claim treaties. The chiefs, elders and other representatives signed a protocol in Nanaimo, hoping to overcome an impasse with treaty negotiations. Taxation and fishing rights are big issues in the negotiations. Chief Robert Louis of Westbank warned that if the issue is left unresolved, it could lead to further action. He says blockades are a potential way of getting their message across to the public

Saturday Oct 28, 2006 Mohawks dealt a bad hand with U.S. crackdown on internet gambling
A tsunami hit the online gambling industry this month and it washed right up to the doors of a building...Signed into law on Oct. 13 by President George W. Bush, the legislation outlaws most online gambling and prohibits credit-card and electronic fund transfer companies from processing transactions from U.S. players.

Thursday 26 October 2006 TORONTO: ONTARIO TELLS OTTAWA TO ANTE UP IN NATIVE DISPUTE
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has demanded that the Canadian government pay at least $25 million to defray part of the cost of the occupation of land by native protesters at Caledonia in the southwest of the province. The occupation has been going on since February. The provincial government has already spent that amount to acquire the disputed land, to reimburse local businesses that have suffered because of the occupation and to pay a provincial negotiator who is trying to settle the conflict. Mr. McGuinty says the cost to Ontario could be higher because the figure doesn't take account of such expenses as police overtime. The opposition Conservative Party has already estimated the cost of the occupation by Six Nations protesters at $55 million. The natives claim that the land is theirs and they they were swindled out of its possession in the 19th century.

Monday 28 August 2006 TORONTO: NATIVES CAN CONTINUE OCCUPATION
An appeal court has ruled aboriginal protesters can occupy a southern Ontario housing development for at least another month without fear of being arrested. A three-judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Friday that a contempt order against the occupiers ran out last month. The judges said the order no longer applied after the province bought the Caledonia property from the developer. Protesters have occupied the site for six months. The appeal judges rejected Ontario Superior Court Justice David Marshall's opinion that the protesters had to be evicted from the site to restore the rule of law. Justice Marshall ruled a week ago that an injunction obtained by the developer in March will not be dissolved until the protesters are removed. A full appeal of Justice Marshall's order will be heard late next month.

Mon 31/07/2006 Military returns land to Calgary aboriginal band
After 15 years of removing century-old shrapnel, the government has finally returned a former military training ground back to Calgary's Tsuu T'ina First Nation.

Wed 26/07/2006 WINNIPEG: NATIVES HOLD POWWOW ON TREATIES Aboriginal chiefs in Western Canada will host a four-day conference of natives to discuss how to resolve disputes with governments over 11 19th century treaties. The 36-member Southern Chief Organizations hopes to attract as many as 5,000 delegates. From the Prairie provinces, northern Ontario and the three territories. The Grand Chief of the First Nations, Phil Fontaine, is expected to address delegates on Monday, the first day of the talks. Negotiations over the 11 treaties have dragged on with little result for decades. Many aboriginals complain that the treaties were either ignored or partly fulfilled.

Sunday, July 02, 2006 DUCK LAKE: ABORIGINAL BAND PLANS REFERENDUM
A band of Canadian aboriginals will hold a referendum on whether to allow the federal government to continue operating a criminal corrections facility on their land. The Willow Cree Healing Lodge opened in 2004 designed to hold 40 inmates under minimum security. It stands on aboriginal reserve land. But some members of the Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation describe the facility as a jail rather than as a healing centre. There is also disagreement between the aboriginals and the government about the centre's staff. The government says that almost all staff positions were filled by aboriginals as planned, but aboriginal leaders say that the government claims it cannot find enough qualified aboriginals to fill the 40 positions. The date of the referendum was not announced.

Friday, June 30, 2006 GENEVA: UN BODY ADOPTS DECLARATION OVER CANADA'S OBJECTION
The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a declaration in favour of the world's indigenous peoples, a declaration opposed by Canada and Russia. The vote was 30-2, with one dozen nations abstaining and three being absent. The document says native peoples have the right to be free from discrimination and to consider themselves different. The UN rights commissioner, Louis Arbour, welcomed the adoption of the declaration. She's a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. The head of Canada's delegation to the Council, Paul Meyer, says he voted against the declaration because he found the wording of provisions concerning land, territories and resources unclear and open to interpretation, among other objections.

Thursday, June 29, 2006 MONTREAL: NATIVES RELAUNCH HUGE SUIT
The Innu people of northern Quebec has restarted a lawsuit seeking damages for 13 hydroelectric dams that were built on what they claim as their land in the 1950s and 1960s. The suit demands $11 billion in damages from the provincial and federal governments and Hydro-Quebec. The Innu filed a suit demanding $500 million in 1998 but suspended it four years ago to seek a negotiated settlement with the Quebec government. But Innu chief Raphael Picard says the talks have been broken off for lack of "good faith" on the government side. The chief says the $11 billion represents the benefits which Quebec society has derived from the dams. A spokesman for Quebec Natural Resources Minister Pierre Corbeil reacted by noting that the Innu signed an agreement in principle with the government in 2004 by which the natives accepted $75 million in compensation for the use of their resources for hydro-electricity.

Thursday Jun 22, 2006 Crown appeals Ahenakew ruling
The Crown is appealing the ruling of a judge who ordered a new trial for former First Nations leader David Ahenakew, who was convicted of promoting hatred.

rci CANADA NOT SATISFIED WITH UN DECLARATION ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Canada is asking the United Nations to delay a vote on a key draft treaty enshrining the rights of indigenous people. The document is set to be adopted soon by the UN's new Human Rights Council, in Geneva, after more than 20 years of negotiations. Some Canadian officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice, say the text in its current form does not satisfactorily address a number of issues in Canada. Mr MacKay said the text could run contrary to some decisions by the Canadian Supreme Court and deprive the country's aboriginals of some of their constitutional rights. The United States, Australia and New Zealand have also indicated they will vote against the text, unless major changes are made. In Canada, political opponents are accusing the Conservative government of trying to sink the accord by demanding two more years of discussions. The Conservatives are already under fire for killing off a C$5 billion deal struck late last year between the previous Liberal government and aboriginal leaders. The deal was to have pumped more money into health, education and social services.

Monday Jun 5, 2006 Canada's former prime minister wants the Conservative government to follow through on one of his last initiatives before he lost power. Paul Martin has introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons demanding that the government of Prime Minister Harper honour the Kelowna Accord. The $5-billion accord is aimed at improving the lives of Canada's aboriginals over a 10-year period. Mr. Martin says the accord was supported by all the country's premiers and territorial leaders, as well as aboriginal leaders. There was no funding for the accord in the Conservative government's first budget in May. Private member's bills have little chance of receiving unanimous support to pass.

Sunday Jun 4, 2006 Scrapping Kelowna Accord would be 'immoral': Paul Martin
It would be "immoral" for the Conservative government to scrap the Kelowna Accord designed to close the gap between aboriginal Canadians and the rest of the population, former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin said Thursday.

Les Jardins de Métis is one of Canada's most historic landscapes. This Web site lets you discover the history of a place and the people who shaped it during the past one hundred years.

Thursday May 25, 2006 OTTAWA: MILITARY WANTS MORE NATIVES
The Canadian Forces says it wants to double the number of its soldiers of aboriginal origin. The military says that only 1.5 per cent of its personnel are at present natives, a figure which would have to be doubled to reflect Canada's ethnic makeup. An officer of aboriginal origin will soon start touring native reserves to present the advantages of a military career. The Conservative party government has fixed itself a target of 13,000 new recruits over the next three years. However, the federal auditor general said last week in her annual report that the results have so far been dismal.

Saturday May 13, 2006 rci The B.C. government has signed an accord with the province's Métis to co-operate on such areas as health care, housing, education, employment and Métis identification. The accord was signed on behalf of the province by the minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation, Tom Christensen and on behalf of the Métis by Bruce Dumont, president of Métis Nation British Columbia. Mr. Christensen says that although the agreement doesn't make any specific financial commitments, that isn't its purpose, which is to provide a foundation for a new relationship, which is "historic." Métis are the descendants of aboriginals and French-speaking explorers and settlers, mostly in western Canada. Mr. Dumont says his people are struggling economically and socially and so need the accord. The minister explains that the Métis Nation Relationship Accord as a continuation of the Kelowna agreement, an agreement signed last November by former Prime Minister Paul Martin, the provincial and territorial premiers, and aboriginal leaders. The parties to it committed themselves to a 10-year effort to improve natives lives. However, the future of the Kelowna accord is uncertain, as it wasn't mentioned in last week's federal budget.

Thursday Apr 27, 2006 ts Aboriginals, immigrants lose out on health care, report suggests
Aboriginals, immigrants and low-income families have less access to health care in Ontario than most other residents, says a report released Wednesday by a new agency established to monitor medicare in the province.

Saturday WN MOHAWK SOLIDARITY1/KAHNAWAKE QUEBEC/APRIL 20,2006---The flags of the Mohawk Warrior Society fly briskly over the Mercier Bridge, leading to the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, and Chateauguay. The flags were erected this morning to show solidarity with the native blockade at Caledonia, Ontario, which was confronted by the OPP earlier today. Barricades are ready to be put up and manned, in Kahnawake should the police force confront the Caladonia blockade again. (Str pic by Robert J